Counting mechanism



May 2, 1967 w. c. FOX 3,317,133

COUNTING MECHANI SM Filed Nov. 8, 1965 FIG. a

INVENTOR. WILLIAM C. FOX

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,317,133 COUNTING MECHANISM Wiliiam C. Fox, Plainville, Conn., assignor to Veeder Industries, 'Inc., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Nov. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 506,628 3 Claims. (Cl. 235-131) This invention relates to counting mechanisms, and more particularly concerns a counter of the reset ratchet type.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved counter of the reset ratchet type which is simpler and less expensive than those heretofore available.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved reset ratchet counter having fewer parts than conventional counters of the same type, thus making possible an improvement in the ease with which it may be manufactured.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section view, partly broken away and partly in section, of a counter embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is a transverse section view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the counter of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the counter illustrated therein comprises a case of rectangular configuration having a top window 12 through which numerical readings recorded by the counter may be observed. The case 10 is supported on a base plate 14, and its open ends are enclosed by a pair of end caps 16, 18 secured in place by tie rods 20, 22, 24 and 26 extending along the length of the case 10 adjacent the four corners thereof.

Mounted within the case 10 are a suitable number (live in this instance) of number wheels 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 each having a numerical sequence of indicia of 0 through 9 (not shown) on its periphery and respectively having to ratchet wheels 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46 so that number wheel 28 is driven by ratchet wheel 38, number wheel 30 is driven by ratchet wheel 40, and so forth. All of these wheels are supported on a reset shaft 48 extending through the end cap 18 and provided with a reset knob 50.

A drive shaft 52 extends through and is supported by the end cap 16 for oscillatory movement about its axis upon actuation of the drive lever 54, which may be connected to various devices so as to cause the counter to record their cycles of operation. The inner endof the drive shaft 52 is recessed to form a socket 56 for the purpose of receiving and supporting the end portion 58 of the reset shaft 48, it being understood that these parts are free to turn relative to each other. Movement of the drive shaft 52 causes corresponding movement of a yoke 60 having one leg 59 secured thereto and its other leg 71 rotatably supported on the reset shaft 48 adjacent to end cap 18. For the purpose of biasing the yoke 60 to its withdrawn position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there is provided a torsion spring 62 secured at one end to the drive shaft 52 and at the other end to the tie rod 26. Each actuation of the drive lever 54 provides for pivoting the ing stroke of the 3,317,133 Patented May 2, 1967 "ice yoke 60, counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2, through an arc of approximately but slightly greater than 36 and limited by the stops 63, 64.

The yoke 60 supports a shaft 65 extending between the legs 59, 61 thereof and arranged to provide a pivotal support for a drive pawl yoke 66 having drive pawls 68, 70, 72, 74, 76 extending laterally therefrom into operative relationship with the ratchet wheels 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46 respectively. The drive pawl yoke 66 is biased, clockwise as viewed in FIG. 3, by a coil spring 78 for the purpose of providing the proper driving relationships between the drive pawls and the ratchet wheels to advance the counting wheels in a manner well known in the art.

In order to maintain the number wheels and ratchet wheels of the counter in properly spaced relation along their common shaft, it is desirable to provide spacing washers between each adjacent pair of independently movable parts, such as a ratchet wheel and the adjacent number wheel driven by another ratchet wheel. Another function which must be performed in such counters is to maintain the ratchet wheels and the number wheels driven thereby in the positions to which they are rotated after each drivdrive pawls; this function is conventionally performed by a group of detent pawls extending into engagement with the ratchet wheels so as to prevent reverse rotation.

In accordance with the present invention each of the foregoing functions is performed by unitary sheet metal members 80, 82, 84, 86 and 88 positioned at intervals along the reset shaft 48. Since these members are identical in all respects a detailed description of the one shown in perspective in FIG. 4 will suflice.

The sheet metal member 80, made of phosphor bronze for example, includes a spacer portion 90, a lug portion 92 which defines a radially extending slot 93 for receiving the tie rod 20, an axially extending generally flat bridge portion 95 which overlies the adjacent lower order number wheel as seen in FIG. 1, a generally flat detent pawl portion 94 extending generally radially inwardly from the outer axial end of the bridge portion 95, and a central opening 96 to accommodate the reset shaft 48. When positioned in the counter the sheet metal member is supported on the reset shaft 48 and held against rotation by receipt of the tie rod 20 within the radial slot 93. The spacer portion of the sheet metal member 80 lies between the face of the number wheel 28 and the adjacent leg of the yoke 60, while the detent pawl portion 94 extends into engagement with the ratchet wheel 38 on the opposite side of the number wheel 28. Similarly, the spacer portion 90 of the sheet metal member 82 is positioned between the number wheel 30 and the ratchet wheel 38, and its detent pawl portion 94 engages ratchet wheel 40 on the opposite side of the number wheel 30. The sheet metal members 84, 86 and 88 are positioned in the same manner at intervals along the portion of the reset shaft 48 which supports the number wheels 32, 34 and 36.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention eliminates a number of separate parts and their mounting structure heretofore required in reset ratchet counters, thus reducing the cost of such devices. Further, the multi-function sheet metal members provided by this invention are inexpensive, reliable and reduce the time required to assemble counters in which they are used.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A counting mechanism comprising a counter shaft, a plurality of axially spaced coaxial rotary counter wheels mounted on said shaft having axially spaced coaxial ratchet wheels for individually indexing said counter wheels respectively, indexing means engageable with the ratchet wheels for angularly indexing the counter wheels in stepwise fashion in one angular direction, and a plurality of fixed sheet metal members axially spaced along said shaft; said sheet metal members having transversely extending spacer portions interleaved between the counter Wheels, generally radially inwardly extending detent pawl portions in axial spaced relationship with the spacer portions respectively and in engagement with the ratchet Wheels respectively for preventing angular movement of the counter wheels in the opposite angular direction, and connecting portions integrally connecting the spacer portions and detent pawl portions respectively.

2. A counting mechanism as set forth in claim 1 Wherein the detent pawl portions are generally flat and generally lie in planes extending parallel to the counter shaft.

3. A counting mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spacer portions have openings receiving the counter References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,521,137 12/1924 Veeder 235-91 3,002,687 =l0/l96'1 He-rr 235-139 3,006,546 10/1961 Lapointe 235 134 3,075,697 1/1963 Wallquist et al. 2 35132 X 3,137,444 6/1964 Hara-da 2351 17 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Examiner. S. A. WALL, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A COUNTING MECHANISM COMPRISING A COUNTER SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED COAXIAL ROTARY COUNTER WHEELS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT HAVING AXIALLY SPACED COAXIAL RATCHET WHEELS FOR INDIVIDUALLY INDEXING SAID COUNTER WHEELS RESPECTIVELY, INDEXING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RATCHET WHEELS FOR ANGULARLY INDEXING THE COUNTER WHEELS IN STEPWISE FASHION IN ONE ANGULAR DIRECTION, AND A PLURALITY OF FIXED SHEET METAL MEMBERS AXIALLY SPACED ALONG SAID SHAFT; SAID SHEET METAL MEMBERS HAVING TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SPACER PORTIONS INTERLEAVED BETWEEN THE COUNTER WHEELS, GENERALLY RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING DETENT PAWL PORTIONS IN AXIAL SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SPACER PORTIONS RE- 